KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – A Democratic candidate has won the state senate seat previously held by Republican Chris Cournoyer, who resigned in December to serve as lieutenant governor. State Senate District 35 covers all of Clinton County and parts of Jackson and Scott Counties. Cournoyer won the district by a 22 point margin in 2022. President Trump won it last November by 21 points.
Unofficial results from yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) special election show Democrat Mike Zimmer finished with nearly 52 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Katie Whittington of Clinton. Zimmer, a retired teacher and coach, is president of the Central DeWitt School Board. Zimmer says since it was a special election, the race had the full attention of Iowa Democrats.
Mike Zimmer, a retired teacher and coach who is president of the Central DeWitt School Board, has won the special election for a seat in the Iowa Senate.
“We had people making phone calls, writing postcards, coming over and helping knock doors — everything that you have to have to have a winning campaign,” Zimmer says. “I was just blessed to have all of that.” When Zimmer is sworn into office at the statehouse, there will be 16 Democrats and 34 Republicans in the state senate.
(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says President Trump’s freeze on federal grants and loans is meant to give his administration time to make sure funding isn’t going to diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“They’re looking in to make sure that maybe we aren’t inadvertently allocating funds to programs that we shouldn’t be,” Reynolds said. Reynolds made her comments in eastern Iowa yesterday (Tuesday). About an hour later a federal judge blocked Trump’s directive from going into effect until Monday.
Reynolds told reporters her chief of staff will be in a meeting today (Wednesday) with Trump Administration officials to learn more about the freeze on federal grants and loans and how it might affect states.
(Radio Iowa) – Former Governor Terry Branstad is urging legislators to pass a bill that would establish a School of Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa. “The future of our country is dependent on citizens that are well informed and celebrate the American heritage,” Branstad said, “…especially in this day and age when we see…a lack of respect for other viewpoints.”
Branstad was at the Capitol yesterday (Tuesday) to testify at a subcommittee hearing on the bill. M Denney, a recent University of Iowa graduate, testified against the bill. “I find this a laughable and ridiculous waste of money, time and resources,” Denny said. “…This is a pure ideological exercise because you disagree with whatever you’ve labeled DEI, which in my experience is black people, trans people, women being represented in education and being represented in any position of authority or having any of their history taught.” Branstad replied.
“Let me tell you I graduated from the University of Iowa a long time ago in political science,” Branstad said. “I know most of the teachers are socialists, but I think all political views should be represented.” The bill calls for hiring four political science professors for a School of Intellectual Freedom and creating a new, nine-member council to oversee the operation.
Former Governor Terry Branstad listens to testimony during subcommittee hearing at Iowa Capitol on Jan. 28, 2025. (RI photo)
A university spokesman told lawmakers a plan a Center for Civil Dialogue and Leadership at the University of Iowa will be presented next month to the board that oversees the three state universities. It would be similar to centers at Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.
The Board of Regents approved creation of U-N-I’s Center for Civic Education in September. In November, Iowa State University administrators announced a “Cyclone Civics” initiative.
(Radio Iowa) A bill to establish surgical castration as a penalty for sex offenders convicted of abusing a child was introduced in the Iowa House this year, but will go no further. Amy Campbell, a lobbyist for the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, says 96 percent of children who are assaulted know their attacker. “Research has shown that the more harsh the penalty, the less likely a family is to report that,” Campbell said. It appears the Czech Republic, Nigeria and the state of Louisiana are the only jurisdictions that have laws allowing surgical castration of convicted sex offenders.
Lisa Davis Cook, a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of Justice, says the policy could set the state of Iowa down a dangerous path.”This is giving the government the ability to surgically alert someone’s body,” Davis Cook says, “and we kind of wonder: ‘Where does that stop?'”
Iowa is among 11 states where those convicted of serious sex crimes against children may be sentenced to undergo a type of hormonal therapy referred to as chemical castration. The Iowa law was passed in 2003 and was for a variety of convictions of sex abuse, assault or exploitation of a child under the age of 12.
(Craig, Iowa) – A collision Tuesday afternoon in northwest Iowa resulted in the death of a man from Illinois, and a field fire. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2017 Freightliner semi driven by 28-year-old Mohammed Wajid, of Chicago, IL, was traveling north on Plymouth County Road K-18 west of Craig at around 12:40-p.m., when the truck failed to stop at the posted intersection with County Road C-12.
A 2024 Kenworth semi hauling a grain trailer and traveling east on C-12 was struck on the rear of the trailer by the northbound semi, causing the trailer to split in-half. The frame of the northbound semi came to rest in the north ditch, while the cab came to rest in the south ditch. The eastbound semi, driven by 49-year-old Timothy Wilken, of Akron (IA) came to rest in the intersection.The surrounding fields caught fire as a result of the crash, but the flames were quickly extinguished by responding fire departments.
The Patrol says Mohammed Wajid was transported by Akron EMS to the Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars, where he died from his injuries.
(Des Moines, Iowa) – A House subcommittee moved forward Tuesday with a measure that would allow schools to create “threat assessment teams” in an effort to prevent school shootings. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, House Study Bill 47, a measure introduced by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, would authorize K-12 school districts, private schools and charter schools to create threat assessment teams that could consist of school officials, law enforcement officers as well as mental health and social services workers. The teams would be tasked with coordinating resources and intervening when a student exhibits behavior that could pose a threat to the safety of other students or school staff.
The bill allows for the sharing of information on students who are “experiencing or at risk of an emotional disturbance or mental illness, or who pose an articulable and significant threat to the health and safety of any person” when the information is deemed “reasonably necessary” to share in order to ensure the safety of others or provide the student access to needed services. It also provides civil immunity to team members in sharing certain information on students related to school safety.
Josie Wagler, speaking on behalf of Iowa DPS, said the department introduced the measure as a way to ensure information can be legally shared between parties when a threat is identified while abiding by restrictions put in place on students’ privacy through the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
wa students and supporters rallied at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines Jan. 8, 2024, calling for lawmakers to pass gun regulations in the wake of the Perry High School shooting the week before. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Education advocates largely spoke in support of the measure, saying that it would provide schools more flexibility and resources when trying to connect students with services that could help them when facing difficult situations. However, others like Lisa Davis-Cook with the Iowa Association for Justice said “we think protecting students is important, but we also believe that protecting all students is important.” She said the association had privacy concerns about threat assessment teams’ access to confidential student records, as well as the “breadth of terms” in the bill’s language on sharing information about students’ experiencing emotional disturbances or mental illnesses.
She also brought up concerns about providing civil immunity to members of the team in sharing confidential information. While the bill states team members only have immunity when acting “in good faith with reasonable cause and without malice,” Davis-Cook said the provision could create a lack of accountability when dealing with sensitive records. MaryNelle Trefz with Iowa ACEs 360, an advocacy group focused on trauma recovery, made suggestions to amend the bill including to require threat assessment team members to go through training and give demographic reports on their work.
Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Davenport, did not sign off on the bill, saying she had concerns about student confidentiality and supported calls to “tighten” language in the bill to avoid unintended consequences. Rep. Henry Stone, R-Forest City, said he was in support of making “tweaks” to the bill, but said it was an important measure to move forward.
The bill advanced 2-1, heading to the House Education Committee for further consideration.
(Des Moines, Iowa) Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they plan to support the governor’s proposal of a 2% increase in per-pupil funding for the state’s public school system.
The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the proposed increase matches the recommendation put forward by Gov. Kim Reynolds earlier in January of a $235 million increase for State Supplemental Aid (SSA), the per-pupil state funding for Iowa’s K-12 schools. It’s a slightly lower SSA rate than previous years — last year, lawmakers passed a 2.5% SSA increase as part of a larger package making changes to the state’s Area Education Agencies and raising teacher pay. But Senate Republicans said the measure provides stable funding for the state’s education system
“Senate Republicans announced a reliable funding level for Iowa students, just as we have every year we have been in the majority,” Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said in a news release. “Iowans have continually supported our position of consistent increases in education funding. Today, we will begin again to keep our promise to provide timely increases with the goal of improving student achievement and making Iowa schools the best in the country.”
The timeliness of school funding was an issue in 2024. While the Legislature has a self-imposed deadline to pass the per-pupil state aid for schools within 30 days of the governor’s budget being released, the funding rate was not finalized until late March during the previous session. Though there is no penalty for lawmakers missing the 30-day deadline, the delay made budgeting difficult for school districts across the state, according to education advocates.
House lawmakers have not yet released an SSA bill. Though the Senate funding bill, Senate Study Bill 1053, is coming within the required timeframe this year, organizations like the Iowa State Education Association said a 2% increase falls short of funding requirements at Iowa’s schools.
ISEA President Joshua Brown said in a statement Tuesday that the organization is recommending a minimum 5% increase in funding. “Setting funding any less than that jeopardizes growth and opportunity in our public schools for more than 90 percent of the students in our state,” Brown said. “We look forward to working with Iowa legislators on finding the right solution.”
But Republicans like Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, said the $235 million increase in spending — and total allocation of $4.2 billion in state funding for K-12 students in the state in fiscal year 2026 — shows “the commitment of Senate Republicans to improving education.”
“It is a sustainable increase, focused on getting more money into the classroom, and it is proposed on time so schools can make informed decisions about their budget for next year,” Evans said.
Senators will meet in a subcommittee meeting Jan. 30 to discuss the funding proposal.
DES MOINES, IOWA—Atlantic FFA Advisor/AHS Ag Instructor Eric Miller reports FFA members from across Iowa converged on the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines to build character and promote citizenship, volunteerism, and patriotism.
More than 700 high school students wearing blue corduroy from 120 schools visited the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des Moines on January 22nd. The students visited with legislators, exhibited skills learned in the agriculture classroom and learned the importance of citizenship. This was all part of the 40th Annual Iowa FFA Legislative Symposium and FFA Day at the Capitol. Atlantic FFA President Lola Comes said, The Atlantic FFA officers had the incredible opportunity to attend the Legislative Symposium. As we met with representatives and lobbyists from the capitol, we got an insight into the agricultural projects they are working on. We explored the capitol building, and a few of us even had the chance to see Governor Reynolds!”
Left to Right
Frank Freund, Joaquin Wailes, Lola Comes, Hayden Kleen, Brooke Booth, Lily Johnson, Maddy Anderson, Caleb Lantz, Representative Tom Moore
Left to Right Hayden Kleen, Joaquin Wailes, Lauren Comes, Senator Tom Shipley, Lola Comes, Lily Johnson, Maddy Anderson, Frank Freund
During the morning, FFA members gathered at the Downtown Embassy Suites for a brief greeting and tutorial. The program provided opportunities for FFA members to hear from Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, about the importance of agriculture in Iowa and abroad. Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Vice President, Brian Feldpausch, then delivered a message about the importance young agriculturalists can play in the agriculture industry. Jake Swanson from High Yield Strategies then spoke about the importance of advocating for the agricultural industry. Atlantic Vice President Lily Jonhson said “While at the capital, I enjoyed talking with Iowa legislators Representative Moore and Senator Shipley. We got to discuss new laws and what their thoughts were. I also got the opportunity to speak briefly with Governor Kim Reynolds! Overall it was a great learning experience.”
The 40th Annual Iowa FFA Legislative Symposium and FFA Day at the Capitol was made possible with support from Iowa Farm Bureau Federation through the Iowa FFA Foundation.
(Radio Iowa) – A district court has denied the sentence appeal in the murder of a Fairfield teacher. Jeremy Goodale pleaded guilty to first-degree murder along with Willard Miller in the death of their Spanish teacher Nohema Graber in 2021 K-C-R-G T-V reports Goodale appealed his sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years, saying he was 16 at the time and the court failed to consider his age and immaturity in his sentencing.
The ruling says it does recognize that Goodale was influenced by Miller and he did not fully appreciate the consequences of his actions. But it noted Goodale was a bright student and an intelligent teenager who could have stopped the murder. It says the minimum term was necessary because of the “egregiousness of the crime.”
(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa lawmaker who’s also a state trooper is proposing a bill to better define when motorists are guilty of tailgating in the highway. Current law says drivers are to follow other vehicles at a prudent and reasonable distance. Representative Zach Dieken of Granville has been a state trooper for 13 years. “The concern is just literally following too close,” Dieken says. “A lot of our accidents are caused by people who are literally driving too close to one another,” Dieken says.
Drivers can be ticketed for following another vehicle too closely, but Dieken says Iowa law doesn’t properly define tailgating. “To try to explain that to a magistrate on the stand or even a violator on the side of the road I think becomes problematic because everybody can have a different definition of what is prudent,” Dieken says, “especially when you’re on the receiving end of a traffic stop or a citation, prudent is maybe a little bit different than what the trooper or the (police) officer is considering prudent.”
Rep. Zach Dieken (R-Granville) (official photo)
Dieken’s bill says under clear conditions on an Iowa highway, motorists are to drive at least 25 feet behind another vehicle when the speed limit is 35 miles per hour and at least 150 feet when the posted speed limit is between 55 and 65 miles an hour. For the interstates, where the speed limit goes up to 70, the bill indicates at least 200 feet is the prudent distance between vehicles. Dieken says those are the current guideposts for troopers who issue tickets to tailgaters and those calculations are based on how long it takes not necessarily to come to a complete stop, but to avoid a collision. Dieken is hoping the bill gives driver’s ed instructors guidance that’s based on feet, rather than seconds between vehicles.
“When I was in middle school it was how many “Mississippis” or light poles and that kind of thing,” Dieken says. “Hopefully this is going to define an actual distance we need to be driving.”
The bill cleared a subcommittee this (Tuesday) morning and is eligible for consideration in the House Transportation Committee.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS